I last caught up with Will Calhoun, the Grammy-winning drummer from Living Colour at Sullivan Hall in May, where he was playing a rock ‘n roll gig with Bernard Fowler, featuring Doug Wimbish and Eric Gales.
Will Calhoun at Sullivan Hall in New York on May 18, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang
Will Calhoun, Bernard Fowler and Eric Gales at Sullivan Hall in New York on May 18, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang
“I love performing with Oumou and Béla, whose collaboration is a brilliant combination of traditional Malian music and traditional folk music,” said Calhoun.
Will Calhoun in front of Sullivan Hall on May 18, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang
Not many artists have the vision and artistic energy to be Grammy winners and contribute to so many genres – jazz, rock, hip-hop, ambient, and more – while concurrently producing, touring, creating new projects, working on films, and continually pushing the envelope. Will Calhoun has this creative vision, and he is doing an extraordinary job keeping music a spiritual and motivating force in his life.
In addition to his work with landmark fusion rock band Living Colour, Calhoun has recorded and/or performed with a diverse array of artists, including B.B. King, Mick Jagger, Jaco Pastorious, Harry Belafonte, Pharoah Sanders, Jack DeJohnette, Paul Simon, Lou Reed, Marcus Miller, Dr. John, Carly Simon, Herb Alpert,Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood, Wayne Shorter (on the 1995 Grammy-winning CD High Life), Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, The Allman Brothers, and more. As a producer, player, and songwriter, he has also worked on Herb Alpert’s Grammy-nominated album Colors (1999), and Mos Def’s The New Danger (2004).
Will Calhoun and Doug Wimbish at Sullivan Hall in New York on May 18, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang
After releasing several solo drum/electronic albums and forming the groundbreaking band Jungle Funk with Doug Wimbish and Vinx in the late ’90s, Calhoun released his first solo jazz CD in 2000, titled The Will Calhoun Quintet: Live at the Blue Note. The disc garnered a Grammy nomination. His latest release, Native Lands (2005), is his follow-up release on Half Note Records, the Blue Note’s in-house record label. Native Lands can be described as jazz meets world music, coupled with trance-inducing urban music. This dual disc (CD/DVD) combines Calhoun’s experiences as he marries his far-reaching interests in a genre-bending collection that taps key expressionists from various backgrounds. Among those contributing are Pharaoh Sanders, Mos Def, Buster Williams, Stanley Jordan, Kevin Eubanks, Marcus Miller and Wallace Roney, as well as Nana Vasconcelos from Brazil and Cheick Tidiane Seck from Mali.
Throughout the month of August you can catch Calhoun performing at The Iridium, Jazzmobile Summerfest 2012, The Blue Note, Hudson Valley Jazz Festival, and Wimbash with a variety of different artists.
Thursday, August 2 to Saturday, August 4, 2012: The Iridium
Ronnie Laws w/ Frank McComb at The Iridium, 1650 Broadway in New York at 8pm and 10pm sets, featuring Will Calhoun on drums, Al McDowel on bass, Frank McComb vocals and Piano, Donald Blackman on Keys, Ronnie Laws on sax.
The Iridium
1650 Broadway (51st)
New York, NY 10019
8pm and 10pm sets
Tickets are $30
Telephone: (212) 582-2121
http://theiridium.com/
Friday, August 10, 2012: Summerfest 2012 Concert
The Will Calhoun Trio will perform in the Jazzmobile Summerfest 2012 Concert in the Park at the Jackie Robinson Park, Bradhurst Ave & West 148th St in New York at 7pm. Featuring Will Calhoun on Drums, Indigenous Percussion, Electronics, Samples, Flutes, Marc Carey on Keyboard, Piano, Samples, Loops, and John Benitez on Bass.
Monday, August 13, 2012: Blue Note Jazz Club
Will Calhoun’s Native Lands Trio will perform at 8pm and 10:30pm with a special guests Tibetan vocalist YungChen Lhamo and Wallace Roney, at the Blue Note Jazz Club, 131 W. 3rd St in New York. Featuring Will Calhoun on Drums, Indigenous Percussion, Electronics, Samples, Flutes, Marc Cary on Keyboard, Piano, Samples, Loops and Charnett Moffett on Bass.
Blue Note Jazz Club
131 W. 3rd St
New York, NY 10012
Set times are 8pm and 10:30pm
Telephone: (212) 475-8592
Click here for tickets.
Friday, August 17, 2012: Hudson Valley Jazz Festival
Will Calhoun’s Native Lands Trio will perform at 8 and 9:30pm in the Hudson Valley Jazz Festival at Coquito, 31 Forester Avenue in Warwick, NY. Featuring
Will Calhoun – Drums, Indigenous Percussion, Electronics, Samples, Flutes,
Marc Cary – Keyboard, Piano, Samples, Loops, and John Benitez – Bass
Coquito
31 Forester Avenue
Warwick, NY 10990
Set times are 8 and 9:30pm
For reservations call: (845) 544.2790
More information: info@coquitony.com
Check out the Coquito calendar page for additional details and to confirm times.
Saturday, August 18, 2012: Wimbash
Will Calhoun along with Vernon Reid, will perform at Wimbash, the annual music festival series created by fellow Living Colour member Doug Wimbish, at Sully’s Pub & Tiki Bar, 2071 Park Street in Hartford, CT. Music workshops will also be conducted throughout the afternoon. Previous WimBash locations this year included Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Cabarete (Dominican Republic.)
Sully’s Pub & Tiki Bar
2071 Park Street
Hartford, CT 06106
Telephone: (860) 231-8881
Time: 2pm to 2am
Check out Sully’s Pub Website for additional details and to confirm times.
Related Articles
New York Winter Jazz Fest: The Will Calhoun Quartet with Donald Harrison at Zinc Bar on January 7, 2012
Will Calhoun Trio to Perform at International Percussion Festival, 10/22-24/11 in Opole, Poland
Will Calhoun Trio in Free Jazzmobile Concert at Morningside Park in New York on August 18
Will Calhoun to Interview Bernie Worrell at ASCAP’s “I Create Music” Expo on April 30 in L.A.
Will Calhoun’s Native Lands Experience featuring Ronnie Laws on sax at Anthology in San Diego on April 1
Living Colour NYC Concert Photos
Will Calhoun Concert Photos at Chelsea Art Museum
Will Calhoun in New York tonight at Chelsea Art Museum and the Highline Ballroom on Friday
Living Colour performs at the Highline Ballroom on 10/30
Multimedia: Oumou Sangare, Will Calhoun at Central Park Summerstage
Oumou Sangare on North American Tour
Charnette Moffett Trio in Dobbs Ferry Music Series
Charnett Moffett Trio The Art of Improvisation CD Release Party at Iridium
Multimedia: Francis Mbappe and the Tribe at Joe’s Pub Photos
Will Calhoun’s Native Lands Experience Live at the Blue Note in NYC
Francis Mbappe Unplugged with The Tribe at Joe’s Pub
Will Calhoun Tours with Unified Presence and Living Colour in Europe
Francis Mbappe and Will Calhoun Duo at Zinc Bar
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Lia Chang. Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography
Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.
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